Guide Books VDLP

[Waka]

VDLP Experts

I have been reading up on the VDLP and am kind of in planning stage. I have the Gerald Kelly guide and find it OK but also note the CSJ have the Alison Raju guide, has anyone used the Alison Raju guide and your opinions off please.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

VDLP Experts

I have been reading up on the VDLP and am kind of in planning stage. I have the Gerald Kelly guide and find it OK but also note the CSJ have the Alison Raju guide, has anyone used the Alison Raju guide and your opinions off please.

Just waked with Kelly and it does the job. No need to supplement.

 

[Waka]

Just waked with Kelly and it does the job. No need to supplement.

Thank you, I'll stick with what I've got. I'll have a lot more questions in the coming months.

 

[gracethepilgrim]

There is a wonderful Resource here on the forum (the VdlP accommodation guide). This camino is so well marked you really don’t need anything else.
Enjoy the planning @Waka and Buen Camino

 

[koknesis]

an alternative one Guide for Pilgrims The Silver RouteDownload . no Sanabres though.

 

[domigee]

I used the Gerald Kelly guide, very good, as well as information from this forum.

I also bought the 'Amigos del camino' guide book in Sevilla, I found it quite helpful, available from the albergue Triana or the shop down the road. http://www.viaplata.org/guia-del-camino

I used the Alison Raju guide for the French part of the Via Francigena and I didn't like it one bit, probably because it was already out-of-date...

If you read Spanish, this site is excellent, they also have a free App.
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/mobile/los-caminos-de-santiago/via-de-la-plata/

 

[Waka]

Thank you all for the responses, as usual the forum comes to my rescue.
I don't know why but I'm getting nervous and I'm not going until next year, during the winter I've had the CF in mind because I've done that one, the VDLP is new and as I understand not as crowded, (the loneliness suits me very well). I guess after the first couple of days I'll be into the swing of camino life and wonder what all the fuss was about. Hay Ho onwards and upwards, only 10 months to go.

 

[domigee]

Thank you all for the responses, as usual the forum comes to my rescue.
I don't know why but I'm getting nervous and I'm not going until next year, during the winter I've had the CF in mind because I've done that one, the VDLP is new and as I understand not as crowded, (the loneliness suits me very well). I guess after the first couple of days I'll be into the swing of camino life and wonder what all the fuss was about. Hay Ho onwards and upwards, only 10 months to go.

Buen camino planning, Waka!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thank you, I'll stick with what I've got. I'll have a lot more questions in the coming months.

Waka, I read the live reports from people who recently walked and made notes along the way. In some cases useful tips for a great meal or to avoid possible arrow confusion.

I know that when I posted I tried to include such info that would complement the guidebook.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I don't know why but I'm getting nervous and I'm not going until next year, during the winter I've had the CF in mind because I've done that one, the VDLP is new and as I understand not as crowded, (the loneliness suits me very well).

Waka, I always get nervous when planning. And one would think that by now I would know better. It's not as if finding on of the only two bars in town or the only grocery store will be difficult. Butuntil I get a visual my head spins.

I loved the fact that you don't see people right, left and center on this route, that you walk alone, unless you don't want to, that albergues fill up during the afternoon making for company in the pm. Albergues were mostly fantastic, with a few old school ones, just to remind us this is a pilgrimage and the "good old days".

Challenge is distances and lack of places to refil water along the way. And by distance I don't just mean from albergue to albergue, but between places to sit during the day: few places to even sit on a rock, let alone in the shade. None of this "when you stop to rest change your socks".

This being said, for daily distances I was able to break up my stages at around 20km on average with two days with a bit of taxing/bussing and a couple of shorter days.

You will love it. This is one Camino I would do again.

 

[Waka]

Challenge is distances and lack of places to refil water along the way. And by distance I don't just mean from albergue to albergue, but between places to sit during the day: few places to even sit on a rock, let alone in the shade. None of this "when you stop to rest change your socks".

Distance is the thing I've been looking at, on the F I was doing around the 25Km mark, but I have to say that I'm more comfortable in doing 20 of so, I like to stop off and enjoy place enroute.
I haven't yet got down to roughly working out the stages yet, plenty of time for that after I've gathered all the information.
With Easter Sunday being on April 1st next year do you think that starting two weeks beforehand is a sensible idea?

 

[patgreen]

an alternative one Guide for Pilgrims The Silver RouteDownload . no Sanabres though.

Thanks for that useful link. It does have the Sanabres which starts on page 113.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

With Easter Sunday being on April 1st next year do you think that starting two weeks beforehand is a sensible idea?

I started walking about 10 days before Easter and it became an issue for those who did not book 2-3 days in advance only for the Friday and Saturday.

Other that, I really enjoyed that time of the year because many active professionals were there walking, taking advantage of the holidays, vs having a crowd made up of mostly retirees.